Disney and McDonalds Split

[Alex]

It is interesting to see the spin on this since it has been the subject of speculation for a few years now that either McDonald's or Disney would decide not to renew the partnership. It hasn't been all the profitable for McDonald's according to reports since it was a deal struck in the post-coital rush of Little Mermaid/Aladdin/Beauty and the Beast/Lion King.


It will be interesting to see if Disney actually keeps its animated movie promotions out of fast food or if they'll just do deals on a film-by-film basis. But the spin could be true. In a litigation environment where it is clear that fast food and junk food manufacturers are eventually in for the tobacco-company treatment it could be quite the hassle to be tied specifically to the children's marketing end of the industry. Now to see if Disney stops co-branding with sugared cereal, sodas, and other junk food.


What is really interesting is that as the focus on fast food as an agent of obesity has grown (Super Sized and Fast Food Nation particularly) McDonald's has seen a resurgence in profits and huge growth in same-store sales.